Zebaldt Ngaruka
The popular rural football and netball tournament, called Top-2, will take place at Augustineum and Ella du Plessis high schools’ sports grounds in the capital over the weekend.
About 26 football teams and 20 netball teams from various villages from as far as Okunene, Otjozondjupa, Erongo and Omaheke region confirmed their participation in the competition after the draw was made on Wednesday at St. Barnabas Primary School.
Ngatuuane Hange, who is one of the competition organisers, said the event, under the auspices of Namibia Rural Sports Development Federation, is primarily played by rural teams that won their annual festive season tournament and runners-up.
“We also give provisions to the willing teams as invited teams. This is a special category, aimed at promoting mass participation of rural teams,” explained Hange.
An amount of N$35 000, in addition to trophies and medals, will be shared among the winning teams in both netball and football categories.
Hange stated that football teams will battle for N$25 000, whereas netball winners will take a share of N$10 000.
The organiser specified the final winner in the football genre will pocket a cash prize of N$12 000, a trophy plus 20 gold medals, while runners up will smile all the way home with N$7 000 and 20 silver medals.
Each semi-finalist, according to Hange, will walk away with N$3 000 for their efforts.
The netball winner will pocket a cash prize of N$5 000 in addition to a trophy and 12 gold medals, whereas runners-up will go home with N$2 500 plus 12 silver medals.
A cash prize of N$1 250 will be given to the third-placed teams for their efforts.
Otjozondjima from the Epukiro constituency won the football competition last year, while Erindiroukambe’s Fine Young Stars from Otjinene are the defending champions in the netball genre.
Surprisingly, the two teams will not feature in this year’s edition.
Otjozondjima team president Spee Katjirua cited a lack of proper preparation for his team as one of the major reasons.
“The tournament was scheduled for the end of February, and it was rescheduled, which jeopardised our preparations,” said Katjirua.
He, however, added the team will play in the upcoming Top-8 competition.
On his part, Nokokure Hambira, who is one of the Fine Young Stars managers, said preparations are the key to a major tournament, and their team was not well prepared.
“Sports venues are challenges, and we did not train well and cannot risk our players as such,” explained Hambira.
The first matches of the knockout competition will start at 08h00 at the respective sports fields.
“We have divided the football teams into two groups, i.e., A and B, with Ella du Plessis accommodating group A matches, while Augustineum hosts group B games,” explained Hange.
The competition is expected to end on Sunday.